Chapter 4

Regina arrives at the library to find Belle racing back and forth between numerous books spread out everywhere. Belle closes one when she sees Regina.

"What did find?"

"I'm not positive but I need to ask you some questions first."

"Alright" Regina asked raising an eyebrow.

"Did anything strange happen other than Emma and Excalibur disappearing?"

"Well the whole thing was rather new. Hadn't done it before. Hope to never have to do it again."

"Yes, but anything you weren't expecting. You know how magic works so you had to have a pretty good idea of what was going to happen."

"Well…I thought it was rather strange that Emma's heart when I took it out was gold instead of red or black or even white like Gold's was when he was no longer the Dark One."

"She sacrificed herself."

"Yes" Regina rolled her eyes annoyed at this questioning and just wanting some answers.

"And she sacrificed herself for you becoming the Dark One?"

"Well obviously."

"I think she unknowingly through both acts of sacrifice enacting a powerful and rare magic." Belle shows Regina something in one of the volumes.

"Meaning?"

"I'm not sure yet. But now we know what to pursue. Can you go through your vault and see if you can find anything on it in your things or your mother's?"

"Sure."

Regina leaves and Belle goes back to the book she closed.
~~~

The next day Henry knocks on Killian's door.

"Killian, I know you're awake. Please open up."

There's a rustling sound and Killian eventually opens the door. "You here to blame me lad?"

"Of course not. Just figured we could both use some company. Regina's off trying to figure out what happened to mom's body and grandma and grandpa and dealing with one cranky baby right now and I just couldn't take the screaming anymore."

Killian backs up letting Henry enter.

"What you got there mate?" he asks as he shuts the door.

Henry pulls out the story book from his bag.

"She's barely in there lad."

"I didn't bring it for her story. I thought we might find something else in here"

"And what would that be?" Killian asked rasing his eyebrow and scratching behind his ear.

"I'm not sure. In my letter she told me to hold on to hope and the book has always been there for me when I really need it."

Henry sees Hook's unopened letter from Killian. He goes and gets it and comes to sit back down. "Would you like me to read it to you?"

"No. And I don't want you reading it to yourself either. Just put it back."

"I really think you should read this Killian."

"Coming from the boy who ran off in tears after reading his? No I can't bear to feel any more pain."

Killian sees his words sting in Henry's eyes. "I'm sorry lad."

"I know." Henry stands and puts the book down where he sat with the letter on top of it. "I really think you should read these." With that Henry exits. Killian goes to lay down on his bed leaving the book and letter untouched.

Emma sits in the trailer reading a book Belle loaned her, Her Handsome Hero. She still had no idea who she was or how she had arrived in town but she was grateful for Belle. She assumed she had probably been in an accident and had amnesia and doubted a trip to the hospital would do any good and only rack up medical bills she probably couldn't pay. She seemed fine otherwise. Emma was grateful that Belle didn't push her too much.

She wasn't sure why, but she enjoyed the quiet and solitude. It had been about a week since Belle brought her here. The books on amnesia Belle loaned her weren't very helpful on how long it would take to bring her memory back or how to for that matter. It was different for each person.

Suddenly Emma lay down and feel asleep. Belle came in looking guilty for using magic to put Emma to sleep and for what she was about to do.

Henry walked out of school a few days later. His hope slowly returning to him but it had only been 10 days since his mother had died. He just wish he could have given her one last hug.

He dragged his feet, kicking a stone.

"Henry."

He looked up to see Belle standing before him with a small smile and a book in one hand and a Granny's to-go cup in the other.

"Hi Belle."

"Can we go somewhere to talk Henry? I stopped by Granny's and got some hot chocolate with cinnamon for you."

"Sure" He was glad for the excuse to avoid his homework for a little bit.

She led him to the town lake and sat down on a bench far away from everyone.

"You know if I didn't trust you so much Belle, I would think you're trying to kidnap me."

"I just needed to talk to you about something…alone. You can't tell anyone either. At least not yet."

"Okay" Henry said straightening up turning towards Belle and taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

"It's about Emma. I know what happened to her."

"What?! What happened to my mom?!"

"She's alive."

"Where is she? We have to tell Killian, everyone!"

"Henry, we can't. Not yet."

"What's wrong?"

"She doesn't know who she is. She has no memory of anything."

"And you think telling anyone else would just upset them too much…and push my mom away. Even if she doesn't remember who she is, she's still her."

"Exactly. I think you might be able to help her get her memories back."

Henry nods a big smile on his face.

"Do you know how she's alive? What happened?"

"From what I can gather from my books, there is an old and powerful magic that when someone enacts a truly selfish act for another to the detriment of themselves that they are given back their sacrifice. It's so old it predates Merlin. Emma did it twice. Once for Regina and then again for Killian and everyone in town. Regina told me when she pulled out Emma's heart and to give it to Killian, her heart was gold. That's how I know what happened.

I still wasn't quite sure how Emma was alive though as she gave her heart to Killian and his was destroyed. I used magic to put Emma to sleep one day and pulled out her heart. There was only half of it like it was split in two and it was certainly gold."

"You think somehow magic gave her half her heart back to save her?"

"She committed selfless acts twice. I wasn't able to find any record of this part of it but I think that's why. I don't think it's ever happened before."

"Let's go see my mom. I promise I won't scare her away."